Child of the Shadows Gaiden: Lempurapodhor's Story
by Tabris
Summary: Kain killed the powerful leader of a desert siege called Dhor. This is the story of a failed leutenant. His memories. Told by himself and Crowe, a vampire/demon hybrid whose part was written by Psi Yamaneko, to Katori, a young in-experienced vampire.


:  
  
  
  
⃟  
  
  
  
  
  
The specifics of my human life are long forgotten.  
  
Memories of my Vampiric childhood fade in and out.  
  
My earliest memory  
  
Is pain.  
  
-Lempurapodor, the Day Walker  
  
  
  
'I remember crawling in the desert, my skin red with blisters. My black hair was oranging from over-exposure, and my throat was dry. My body felt like it was boiling away from the intense heat and sunlight. I remember falling. Falling down something… a hillside perhaps? I remember cutting my lip on fangs that I did not know I had. I remember being bruised, beaten, blistered, and weathered. Those are my earliest memories. After that, I remember white.  
  
* * *  
  
I remember being awakened. I know not how much time between those two memories, only that when I awoke, I was noticeably thinner and tired. A woman, a strange human woman, awaked me. She was a vampire worshiper. She handed me a cup filled with blood and asked me my name. I immediately dropped the cup.  
  
"Woman! Why do you offer me blood!? Is this a joke? I want water!"  
  
"Water would only destroy you, my lord, blood will heal you."  
  
"That is disgusting!" said I. Then I noticed my hand. Where I once had five fingers, I now had three Kainite claws. I was a vampire, but I did not want to believe it. "Quickly, tell me, where am I? What am I?"  
  
"You are in the Southern Siege, in the Temple of the Vampyre. A refuge for tired travelers like yourself."  
  
"I am a vampire!?"  
  
"Yes. What is your name?" she asked again.  
  
"My name? I'm… I'm not sure."  
  
"Drink the blood, it will help." she handed me a new glass, and I took it.  
  
"Alright." I took the glass. As I put it to my lips, I could feel the blood touch my tongue. It was chilled. It tasted metallic and salty. For some reason, it was one of the best tastes I had ever tasted.'  
  
Lempurapodhor paused, as if trying to remember what came next. He looked around the room as if for help.  
  
'I knew I was a vampire by then... but... something is missing... I can't remember what happens next.' He sighed in frustration.  
  
'I know. I remember.' Crowe chimed in, 'You met me.'  
  
'Yes, I remember now. Thank you. After drinking the blood, I slept again and was awakened again, only by a vampire-'  
  
'HALF vampire.'  
  
'... Half vampire who would be sharing my room. Crowe.'  
  
'Me.'  
  
'Yes.' The two glared at each other as if competing for story-telling rights. 'You. Crowe awoke me and explained who he was and that we'd be sharing a room.  
  
"Hello, brother. My name is Crowe. I will be your roommate until one of us leaves. What is your name?"  
  
"Actually, I don't know my name."  
  
"Really!? Well I can tell by your claws and feet that you're a Kainite, and at least 70-100 years changed. As a man, did you die first or were you changed by blood?"  
  
"I'm not sure."  
  
"Hmmm... Well that doesn't really matter now, does it? Either way, you are of the blood now. And you need a name. Where are your personal items?"  
  
"I'm not sure."  
  
"Is that all you can say?" As if with perfect timing, the woman from before came in with a leather pouch.  
  
"Since you are awake, my lord, I thought I should bring you this. All of your clothes were weathered away, and this was all that survived." She handed me the pouch, which I took, and left the room.  
  
"Well, here they are." I opened the pouch. In it was a red amulet with an L insignia on it. On the back, it read "Lawrence of Dhor."  
  
"Lawrence, eh?"  
  
"I suppose so. Where is Dhor?"  
  
"It's a well-fortified Siege north of here. A human stronghold. Apparently, you were nobility there."  
  
"Perhaps."  
  
"So, Lawrence, that's not a very good name for a vampire. You come from Dhor, correct? One who hails from Dhor. In the demonic tongue, that is Lempurapodhor." "That sounds like a good vampire name. Lempurapodhor. I like it. Thank you, Crowe, I think I'm going to like spending time with you." I had a name.'  
  
"I remember meeting you. It was dark, the time at which my kind mostly hunts. You snored, you scared the pray.  
  
I know now, let me say this. It was near the ruined city of Ziegsturhl where the mausoleum of Kain Coorhagen lay, tattered and torn. I was hunting by moonlight, the pyreflies are out at night, aren't they, Lemp? And they were particlarly active outside your crypt. I was curious so I sauntered up and tore the door down from the old mausoleum. Your worshiper was inside, she lay prone on the cold, wet, clammy floor. Alive, but sleeping the sleep of exhaustion.  
  
It was all I could do to follow your scent, and you awoke as I walked in, my claws clattering across the stones.  
  
You were confused. An obvious Kainite, a failed experiment and so you looked to me, the closest thing to your race within reach of your voice.  
  
And I gave you your name, did I not, One Who Hails from Dhor?" 


End file.
